Ober Gatlinburg Opens Mountain Coaster

Drive or tram ten minutes up Ski Mountain Road, and you will find Gatlinburg’s newest thrill attraction, Ski Mountain Coaster! Known for outdoor fun on the slopes, Ober Gatlinburg recently unveiled its latest attraction, an alpine coaster that is simply great family fun. Open year round, Ski Mountain Coaster offers great views and thrills from the mountaintop resort.

Great Ride Experience

Riders begin with a 1,000 feet of track to climb to the top of the lift hill. Once at the top, the rider has full control over his or her speed down the remaining 2,750 feet of track. The track hugs the mountainous terrain while zipping back and forth and down the mountainside towards the queue area. Riders will reach a top speed of between 25 and 30mph, but the thrilling experience feels much faster. The track is filled with safety measures to ensure that each rider has a great experience. While riders are able to control their speed and slow if needed, it is best to disengage those brakes for the best thrills. Even though the riders are in control, safety measures are in place to ensure that each rider-controlled cart does not collide with another one in front of them.

Rider Requirements

Designed by Aquatic Development Group (ADG) Mountainsides, Ober Gatlinburg’s Ski Mountain Coaster is a family-friendly ride that offers a great thrilling experience. Riders who are 9 years of age and older and who are 52 inches and taller are able to ride by themselves. If the rider is between the ages of 4 and 8 years old or between 36 and 52 inches, he or she is able to ride with a parent. Each cart can safely carry a maximum load of 300lbs. Loose articles are not permitted on the ride, but ride operators tend to allow riders to secure a purse or bag to their body or legs so long as it is completely secure and not obstructing their ability to operate the brakes.

Additional Insights

This mountain coaster has separate loading and unloading areas; this helps to increase rider capacity, but those who may be waiting for a rider to complete this alpine coaster experience will need to stay closer to the merchandise shop since the loading area is beyond where the unloading area is. Also, about 2/3rds or 3/4ths of the way down, there is a ride photo on the right, so do your best to show your happiness on your face as you zoom by at nearly 30mph; ride photos are a great keepsake, especially from the first ride!

Overall, this new attraction is a great addition to the ski resort, and we recommend that you give it a ride or two. If you are traveling to Downtown Gatlinburg and want to try something new and exciting, we recommend that you take the 10 minute ride on the aerial tram from downtown to the ski resort and take in the full visual experience. For more information about Ober Gatlinburg’s Ski Mountain Coaster, go to http://obergatlinburg.com/mountain-coaster/.

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